The pair, who sparked romance rumors while filming The Bounty in New York this summer, joined friends for a group dinner at Cliff's Edge restaurant in L.A.'s trendy Silver Lake neighborhood on Sept. 9.

"Jen and Gerard had dinner with friends and they all seemed to enjoy themselves," says a source.

The group of six were seated a candlelit patio – but it was a just-friends evening.

Aniston, in jeans and a tank top, "hugged all the diners in the group and was certainly not spending any special time on Gerard," says the source. "Gerard kept the group entertained with stories and they all shared many laughs."